The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

This is a discussion on The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions within Gadgets, Computers & Software, part of the Shifting gears category; Originally Posted by suhaas307
Guys, I'm on the look out for a new laptop. Budget is 30k-40k
Your requirements have ...

Your requirements have a slight contradiction there. Slim & portable laptops often do not come with an optical disc reader. In case the optical disc reader is present you are looking at average weights of 2.4kg+, unless the laptop is made of lightweight materials like carbon fibre which is only in a Lenovo Thinkpad, which is of course double the quoted price range.

Lenovo has the best warranty terms atleast in my experience, they come home no questions asked & without fuss replace components if any problem does arise. Keeping this in mind this I did a quick survey of the Lenovo website the Flex 2 with touchscreen, i3 Processor, 500 GB HDD & weight of 1.9kg even with a 14 inch screen, is the only one within budget at 40k. It doesn't have a optical reader but you can easily buy an external one for whenever you require. I'm not sure which brands have 13 inch other than Apple (80K+). Always try out any laptop in person before buying, you never know what you might hate about it later.

Lenovo has the best warranty terms atleast in my experience, they come home no questions asked & without fuss replace components if any problem does arise. Keeping this in mind this I did a quick survey of the Lenovo website the Flex 2 with touchscreen, i3 Processor, 500 GB HDD & weight of 1.9kg even with a 14 inch screen, is the only one within budget at 40k. It doesn't have a optical reader but you can easily buy an external one for whenever you require. I'm not sure which brands have 13 inch other than Apple (80K+). Always try out any laptop in person before buying, you never know what you might hate about it later.

^^ I have a 6 year old Lenovo that set me back by 35k. (Not sure what model it is, I'll have to check after I get home from work.) It's a 13.5" screen and it has a disc-reader. I've had a few problems with it like a faulty screen that was replaced under extended warranty (although I had to visit the workshop (Kanakpura Road, Bangalore) several times and had to sit on their heads to get it rectified. The service experience was par, I'd say.

Since battery life has deteriorated considerably and the laptop has gotten pretty slow, I'm looking for a suitable replacement.

Since battery life has deteriorated considerably and the laptop has gotten pretty slow, I'm looking for a suitable replacement.

Yes a few years ago 13 inch was available across every brand with DVD drive, but of late ultrabooks are all the rage. Since my office colleagues keep looking out for suitable replacements I've heard that 13 inch isn't available in Lenovo/Dell/Toshiba etc while earlier they used to be. So I doubt if a similar laptop exists today. Ultrabooks have taken over the 10.5/11.6/13.3 form factor today while regular ones with DVD drive have been allotted 14.1/15.6/17 and so on. A 14 inch Lenovo/Thinkpad Edge could be the closest match in terms of specs and price.

6-7 years is about the time a laptop begins to show signs of wear, I replaced mine after 6 years so that I could get a reasonable exchange value & have a fail-safe new machine as well.

Issue with the old laptop is not the heat, but the battery time, and speed.

When the laptop operates at a higher temp for longer times without proper ventilation, I think your speed takes a hit too.
Regarding the battery, why not get a replacement? It must've lost its retention powers just like an aged phone battery these days.

Folks, Looking for a laptop around 50-55K. I am a student of class 12th and will be needing it mostly to run heavy multimedia files, good multitasking capabilities and should not lag in performance. I use all kinds of editing software and some amount of gaming will also be done. I have considered the following options and need your expert opinions:

I have a Lenovo Flex2 (i5 touch) running the latest Win 8.1 While checking I came across a recent BIOS upgrade. Since mine is an earlier version, it is likely to have been improved, and this should help.

Anybody who has installed a3cn32ww and experience thereof. Also, what is the experience with Lenovo BIOS upgrades. One risks bricking the lappy if things go bad in a BIOS update.

I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop running Win 8.1. The important update (i. e KB2919355) has been done. I use my Dad's MTS modem with my laptop. Some days ago, I tried to connect the laptop to the internet but it showed an error message 'Remote Computer did not respond.' I tried several times but none of my attempts were successful. Gurus please help! Thanks in advance.

I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop running Win 8.1. The important update (i. e KB2919355) has been done. I use my Dad's MTS modem with my laptop. Some days ago, I tried to connect the laptop to the internet but it showed an error message 'Remote Computer did not respond.' I tried several times but none of my attempts were successful. Gurus please help! Thanks in advance.

Dear Neel

This is a common problem and I too have faced this a no. of times while connecting with my Reliance Data Card.
Particularly specific to MTS, you can do the following:

Error: 678 remote computer didn`t respond (usually this problem occurred when you change the location, you can simply type the text manually to get fix the problem by yourself. Solution: Right click on my computer icon (desktop) ---click manage ----- Click device Manager---- In the network ----right click on TATA photon properties----click on Advanced Tab ----- enter the text AT+CRM=1 ---That`s it.. now remove your DATACARD and plug it and surf...

I am looking at a laptop for home use (download movies/music, general browsing and light gaming). I will be connecting it to the TV (HDMI output must). What is the basic config I need to look at? I want it to be future proof for at least 4 years.

Will a i3, 4GB be good enough or should I consider i5, 8GB. I am looking at 14 inch as screen size is not important and want it to be light for travel. Should I look at independent graphics card model for light gaming or will the on board one suffice?

I am looking at a laptop for home use (download movies/music, general browsing and light gaming). I will be connecting it to the TV (HDMI output must). What is the basic config I need to look at? I want it to be future proof for at least 4 years.

Will a i3, 4GB be good enough or should I consider i5, 8GB. I am looking at 14 inch as screen size is not important and want it to be light for travel. Should I look at independent graphics card model for light gaming or will the on board one suffice?

IMHO, i3 is as good as i5 for all day to day activities and it makes the whole thing cheaper too. 8Gb can unleash only if u are using 64 bit version of windows. If you are planning to use 32 bits ( for which getting "free" apps is easier), 4gb is more than enough. Graphic card definitely not needed for light gaming( and even for occasional 'hard' gaming). Try to get the disk with max rpm. If portability is not a problem, I always prefer a desktop to laptop. It is cheaper to maintain, u get a big HD screen for lesser price and can easily last your 4 year deadline. Have a look at mac book air if weight and portability are important and if the budget (Rs 60000-70000) permits.

My sister is looking to buy a new laptop/notebook. She stays in the US and has a budget of around $2000/- ( or lesser ). She doesn't have a specific model in mind and has asked me to suggest one; and I'm faithfully passing on the request here.
Previously, she has used a Macbook and liked it. But the manner in which Apple cuts off support to old models isn't something that I like.

Please suggest one and help me out here.
Ps- Pointers to offers/deals are most welcome. FYI, my sis stays in Texas.